​B’nai B’rith International President Gary P. Saltzman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International welcomes a resolution by the members of the Modern Language Association (MLA) that rejects academic boycotts of Israel. The MLA, which counts more than 24,000 members around the world, promotes the teaching and study of language and literature. The MLA’s delegation voted 1,954 to 885 in favor of the resolution.

We thank the MLA delegates who voted to oppose a boycott of the Jewish state, and for understanding that scholars from Israel and the United States can and should learn from one another. We call on all other academic associations to rebuff the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which attempts to undermine the values of academic freedom and discourse.